Learn a Chinese Character - 楼

1. Character Basics

Radical: 木 (mù, wood radical)

Stroke Count: 13

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: lóu (Second tone)

3. Meaning

Building; storey; floor; tower

4. Common Words

• 高楼 (gāolóu) - tall building; high-rise
• 楼层 (lóucéng) - floor; storey
• 楼房 (lóufáng) - building with multiple floors
• 楼梯 (lóutī) - staircase; stairs
• 楼主 (lóuzhǔ) - original poster (in online forums)
• 茶楼 (chálóu) - teahouse
• 酒楼 (jiǔlóu) - restaurant; dining hall
• 城楼 (chénglóu) - city gate tower

5. Grammar & Usage

"楼" is primarily used as a noun to refer to buildings, especially those with multiple floors. It can be used alone or combined with other characters to form compound nouns. When referring to a specific floor, it is often preceded by a number, e.g., "三楼" (sānlóu, third floor). The measure word commonly used with "楼" is "栋" (dòng) for a whole building, or "层" (céng) for a floor.

6. Cultural Background

In Chinese culture, the character "楼" has a long history and rich cultural connotations. Traditional Chinese architecture features distinctive multi-story buildings like pagodas, pavilions, and mansions. The height of a building was often associated with social status in ancient times. Today, China is known for its modern skyscrapers, symbolizing the country's rapid development. The character "楼" is also used in idioms and literary works to convey ideas of elevation, prominence, or complexity.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 楼 consists of 木 (mù, wood) on the left and 娄 (lóu) on the right. In ancient times, many buildings were made of wood, so the wood radical makes sense. You can imagine a wooden building (木) with several floors, which helps associate the character with its meaning of "building" or "floor".